Fatherly Fiasco
by Lewell Renfield
Summary: [FINAL FANTASY III] Takka laughed heartily, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye "I've seen what the boy can do-" The smith grinned "And a weakling like him needs a strong woman like you.". Rated T for sexual implications.
1. Lepid Letter

Time for some more FFIII.

Here's a little two-chapter father's day special for all of you.

Hope you guys enjoy reading.

* * *

FINAL FANTASY THREE/III/3 AND ALL THE CHARACTERS DEPICTED IN THIS STORY DO NOT BELONG TO ME.

* * *

**LEPID LETTER**

* * *

"Interesting…" Arc muttered as he quickly turned page through page on the current book that he was reading. The brunet smiled to himself, reclining on his seat as he closed the book "After all these years-" Arc's smile grew, pushing the book away dismissively as he took another tome from his right "Doga's documents never cease to amaze me."

"Excuse me, Grand Magus." A high-pitched voice rang through the brunet's ears "A letter-" Arc turned around to see the Moogle who maintained the Mognet letters that he sent and the letters sent to him in turn "From the Master Smith."

"Ah, bring it here." Arc gestured with his hand while turning to his books once more "Thank you." He muttered as the Moogle placed the letter on the desk "The Master Smith, hm?" The brunet snorted, folding the upper right corner of the page of his book "Wonder what she would want with me?" He asked no one in particular, closing the book as he burnt the seal on the letter, successfully opening it.

Arc's eyes widened in amazement as a small smile crept upon his features "So that's how it is…"

_Dear Arc,_

_ How have you been doing? I suppose you are doing quite well after we parted three years ago. The Moogle that's been relaying your messages tell me you've shut yourself in Doga's library. For the past three years._

_I suggest you try to come out once in a while. Or go see **V**m**V**e**V** us once in a while._

_The Master Smith thought it was time to pass the torch; so, yay for me!_

_Luneth's been gone longer than you have, though. The idiot's wanderlust is peerless._

_Ingus is doing pretty well with Queen Sara, though I wish he'd have more confidence around her._

_I'm not really good with this letter business so I'll just stop here. **V**Bef**VV**ore**V**I**V**emba**VVV**rra**V**ss**V**mysel**V**f_

_Hope you're going to visit **V**m**V**e**V** **V**U**V**r**V **S**V**a**VV**sun**V**e us once in a while._

_Love,_

_The M**V#%$**a**SAF #**ster Sm**%#^#**ith _

_Refia_

The brunet was grinning stupidly at the letter "I suppose IT has been long…" He folded the paper and tucked it inside of the book that he was reading earlier, standing up after neatly stacking the books that littered Doga's desk.

"I'll be gone for a while." Arc draped a light green cloak over his shoulders, clipping it on to him using a metal button that was found on its edges "Make sure nothing gets-" The brunet laughed to himself "Never mind, I know you guys will be fine." He smiled, ruffling the head of the Moogle that he was talking to.

Arc muttered something under his breath, a large intricate symbol formed beneath his feet "Refia's the Master Smith now, hm?" He smiled as he teleported to the surface, walking away from Doga's Manor. The brunet fished his notebook from the inside of his robes "Let's see…" He turned each page quickly "What's the fastest way to get back to Ur?" He asked no one in particular, a smile creeping onto his face "Ah, this would do."

The brunet inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly "Dual-cast." He said in a commanding tone, two symbols formed on his hands "Haste-" Arc's body was then encompassed in a thin reddish film "Aeroga." Strong winds pushed the brunet upwards, propelling him upwards.

"Whoa!" Arc smiled, laughing "This is much stronger than I had anticipated!" He screamed, flailing his arms in an attempt of regaining his balance. The brunet clenched his fists and placed them on his sides, leaning forward "I hope this works-" As he successfully mimicked a position reminiscent to that of lying on a bed on one's stomach; the wind beneath his feet had abruptly pushed him forward, filling the brunet with glee "This is amazing!"

He glided through the air in speeds that were enough to make the Nautilus jealous for a few minutes before he gained control of his pseudo-flying. Arc stopped in the middle of the sea, shuffling through his pockets, taking out his map "Now, let's see." The brunet raised a brow as he rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, smiling as he looked at the islands around him.

"Supid!" He laughed, tucking his map inside of his robes "I'm at least three miles away from the floating continent." Arc slapped at his face, snorting "After thirteen years-" The brunet leaned towards the south, the winds propelling him southward as he intended "I still can't seem to memorize all the locations around the world." He smiled "I wish I had Luneth's sense of direction." Arc leaned forward even more, seeing the floating continent peeking from his line of sight "I've got my magic. So I guess I've got that going for me."

Arc's eyes widened in horror as he had noticed that he was going way too quick for comfort "Oh dear…" The floating continent came closer and closer, and as Arc tried to slow himself down, he had come to a horrifying conclusion. He was going to crash, and the brunet prayed that his landing would at least be soft enough to a degree.

The brunet tried turning over, so that his feet were facing the floating continent, instead of his head " Ah, fiddlesticks-" Arc rotated and spun in the air uncontrollably "This… was-" He felt dizzy just from talking "A bad-" The brunet had entered the floating continent, but his erratic flight had no indication of stopping "Idea-" He slammed onto the northern face of the Tower of Owen "Aaahh…" Arc muttered in a pained tone, slowly sliding downwards the tower before falling gracelessly on the grassy plain beneath.

"Ow…" He rubbed at his face gingerly, playing with his mouth while trying to find out if he had lost any teeth "Halt! Who goes there?" A booming voice came from above the brunet "Do not expect to leave alive after what you've done to this tower!"

"Thundaga!" The voice boomed, several dark clouds formed over the Tower of Owen as thunder crackled "Oh dear…" Arc's eyes widened in horror as the clouds spiralled in a strange way, lightning flashing near the hole in the sky "Reflect!" The brunet screamed in habit as a strong flash of light blinded him momentarily. A strong buzzing noise rang through the brunet's ears; a muffled noise that sounded like a scream entered his hearing.

Arc blinked owlishly a few times before hearing a strangely loud thump followed by a scream "Ah! That s-s-smarts!" The voice that commanded Arc to stop earlier had stuttered in pain beside him. The brunet rubbed at his eyes and looked at the source of the voice.

The man that fell to the ground beside him stood up and brushed the dirt off his dark blue coat, shivering due to his earlier shock "Ow, damn!" He hissed in pain and looked at Arc with a scowl which quickly faded away from his face when he recognized the brunet "Arc? Is that you?"

The brunet smiled widely and stood up from the grass "Desch!" He rushed towards the guardian of the tower and embraced the older man "Haha!" Desch laughed, ruffling the brunet's hair "You've grown!" The blunet chuckled, planting his arms on his hips "What brings you to the Tower of Owen?"

Arc laughed nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly "I was actually headed to Ur…" Desch laughed heartily, smacking the brunet behind the back with unnecessary force "Ah, for reminiscing eh?" The blunet caught the slightly embarrassed face of the brunet and snorted "Or is it perhaps for Refia?"

The brunet jumped in surprise and shook his head violently "It's n-not like that!" Arc waved and flailed his arms frantically "It's just that she sent me a letter and-" Desch laughed once more "Ah, a date. I see, you should've just said so!" The blunet elbowed Arc on the shoulder, earning him more protests.

"Ah, I'm just kidding." Desch stuck his tongue out "Well, you better get to her, then." Arc gulped audibly, a small tinge of red on his cheeks "Y-yes." The brunet snapped his fingers and an intricate symbol appeared beneath his feet. Strong winds propelled Arc upward "I wish we could've chatted a bit longer!" Desch said in a laughing tone, waving at Arc.

"He never changes…" Arc chuckled as he flew by Canaan. As much as he wanted to see and greet Cid, he was much more eager to see the others, namely Refia. The brunet could feel his face heat up when he had remembered Desch's teasing "Get a grip, Arc." He inhaled deeply, turning towards the mountain range that served as a gateway to Sasune, Kazus and Ur.

* * *

"Ye sure about this?" Takka asked Refia incredulously, his one brow rose up in a curious fashion.

"I already told you!" Refia furrowed her brows at her foster father, earning her a laugh "Well, I ain't stoppin' ye."

Refia blinked her eyes owlishly "That's it? No objections? No 'he's too scrawny'?"

Takka laughed heartily, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye "I've seen what the boy can do-" The smith grinned "And a weakling like him needs a strong woman like you."

Refia pouted at her foster father, planting her arms on her hips "He's not weak- Just… physically lacking."

The smith laughed, earning him a punch to the face from her foster daughter.

* * *

Arc landed on the middle of Kazus with as much grace as a baby chocobo trying to fly for the first time "I need more practice…" He muttered through the dirt, quickly standing up and spitting any ground from his mouth "Landing is the hardest part of all." He brushed the dirt off his clothes and exhaled through his nose.

The brunet audibly gulped when he had felt the strange stares of the townspeople around him "Ah, it's just the Grand Magus." One of the men shrugged the earlier spectacle off and walked away. The other people nodded and "Ah'd" in unison before going back to what they were doing earlier.

Arc cleared his throat and looked around "Well, Kazus hasn't changed one bit." A small smile crept on his face as he advanced towards Refia's house, his smile being replaced by a full on laugh when he had heard Takka's pleas for help and Refia's angry screaming.

The door to their house was open, and Arc simply poked his boot on the wood of the door to let it fall back "I suppose this is a bad time-" The brunet quickly lowered his head when a hammer had come flying from inside.

"Not at all, boy!" Takka ran behind Arc, cowering behind the brunet "Oi, Refia!" The smith screamed in a shaky voice "Yer man's here!" "Protect" Arc muttered as another hammer flew towards his stomach, successfully pushing the two men to the ground.

"Oh, damn!" Refia covered her mouth in an apologetic manner "I am so, so, sorry!" She ran towards the door, kneeling on the ground beside Arc "A-are you alright?!" She asked in a frantic tone, earning her a weak smile from the brunet "Peachy."

"I'm fine, don't worry, girl." Takka grunted as he slowly pushed Arc upwards "I wasn't talking to you, stupid old man." She snarled, grabbing both of the brunet's arms to help him stand up.

"My own little girl-" Takka was abruptly interrupted when Refia had punched him square in the gut.

"Err, is he going to be alright?" Arc smiled sheepishly, earning him a snort from the redhead "Don't worry. Dad's a pretty tough guy." She smiled back at the brunet, dragging her father inside of their house.

"I just got your letter." Arc started as he picked up the hammers and various smithing apparatuses that littered the floor "Just put 'em there." Refia gestured with her head towards the empty crate beside the furnace. The brunet continued to tidy up the place as Refia had dragged her foster father towards her bed, an unpleasant sound akin of that of thunder was heard followed by complaints and reprimands.

Arc smiled slightly, using Aero on the rest of the items so that they flew towards the crate "So, how've you been-" Refia was taken aback at how tidy the place was "Whoa." She furrowed her brows " S'like I never fought with my dad, eh?" The brunet chuckled while nodding "Quite fine, thank you."

"Hmm?" Refia raised a brow curiously "I'm quite fine." Arc smiled "Thank you for asking." The redhead rubbed at the back of her head sheepishly and avoided the brunet's gaze "A-ah, right." She was about to speak when Arc had cut her off "So you're the Master Smith now, hm?" Refia shrugged "Well, she said it was time to pass the torch and all."

"Congratulations then." The brunet smiled "I suppose a celebration is needed?" Refia felt her face heat up and shook her head violently "Ah… don't be silly." Arc snorted "Don't be so modest now-" He reached for her hand and took it "Being the 'Master' of anything is… an excellent achievement for anybody." He smiled, earning him a very flustered redhead.

Thankfully he had his eyes closed, she thought.

"S-so what do you have in mind?" She asked sheepishly, strangely surprised at how strong the brunet's grip was "Hmm…" Arc looked around in thought "Ah!" He smiled, snapping his fingers "How about we go to Sasune, I am sure they'd be overjoyed as well."

Refia smiled but then bit her lip "But wouldn't Queen Sara and Ingus be too burdened?" Arc smiled a toothy grin "It's been a while since we've all had a celebration anyway."

The two departed for Sasune, their hands still entwined. Refia couldn't believe that Arc was unconsciously walking hand in hand with her, it was like they were on a dat-

"Wait, Sara's queen of Sasune?!"

* * *

The bold letters found in Refia's letter indicate erasures (sadly, the document manager does not save the 'strike-through' feature).

Her erased words are (in order):

'me'

'Before I embarrass myself.'

'me'

'Ur'

'Sasune'

'The Master Smith'

Next part is coming soon (hopefully before Father's day ends).

Hope you guys had an enjoyable read.


	2. Carefree Celebrations

Father's day is over, meh.

Ah, well.

* * *

FINAL FANTASY III/THREE/3 AND THE CHARACTERS DEPICTED (Except Drogan and 'Noah') DO NOT BELONG TO ME.

* * *

**CAREFREE CELEBRATIONS**

* * *

"The Grand Magus and the Master Smith have come, your highness." The guard's voice boomed inside the throne room. Sara sat on the throne with as much elegance that she could muster whilst Ingus stood erect and unwavering beside her, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword "Send them in." Sara muttered, earning her a bow from the guard.

The guard went outside and nodded "The Queen shall see you now." Arc audibly gulped and tried to fix his clothes, earning him a snort from Refia "Don't worry, she isn't the type to be all formal and you know that." The redhead smiled, going inside before being followed by an awkward Arc.

"They're you're friends!" Sara furrowed her brows "You don't have to act all 'milord' or 'milady' and all that jazz!" The Queen huffed, pulling at Ingus' arm even further "Yes, yes. I understand." The blond muttered through grit teeth "Now, could you perhaps, let go of me, your highness?" Sara let go of Ingus' arm and removed her foot from his cheek "Agh! Stop calling me that!"

Ingus stood up from the ground and brushed the dirt off his clothes and face "But your highness-" Sara screamed in irk, pulling at her hair "What did I just say?"

"S-sorry." The blond pursed his lips, earning him a raised brow "Sorry what?" Ingus sighed in defeat and lowered his face "Sorry… Sara." The Queen hugged him tightly and giggled "You know I could never stay angry at you~"

"Ahem." Refia cleared her throat, trying to hide her grin and increasing amusement "Ah!" Sara let go of Ingus, who fell to the ground "Refia! How have you been?" She smiled, clasping her arms around the redhead's "I've been doing good, thanks."

"I don't remember her being that… strong." Arc offered an arm towards the blond, who accepted it happily "She's been insistent in learning something else rather than White Magic." Ingus looked displeased "And what is she training to become?" The brunet asked carefully, knowing well that the blond is not too fond of the princess; I mean queens, choice in Job change.

"A Black Belt." The blond looked as if his soul had left his body "S-she didn't turn into a Monk first?" Arc asked incredulously, earning him a huff from Ingus "She's already mastered the ways of the Monk." The brunet felt his jaw drop "A-and she can still do White Magic, yes?" The blond gulped audibly, nodding slowly.

The two men looked on in fear at Sara; such a beautiful and delicate person at first glance, Arc thought. With Ingus here in Sasune, why else would they need a defensive garrison? They've already got the Queen and her bodyguard. Then a mischievous thought struck Arc and he couldn't help but grin to himself.

"So I suppose you're King now, hm?" Ingus choked on his own spit and looked at the brunet incredulously "What?!" Arc smiled nervously, shaking his hands "Well, seeing as how Sara is queen and that you're married to her and all-" The blond's eye twitched and he choked on his own words "I-I am not- Sara is not- Married- What?"

Ingus shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose "Let me indulge you on a little 'secret'." Arc raised a brow curiously "I am not married to Sara." The blond stated flatly, earning him a few blinks from the brunet "But I thought-"

Arc was cut off when Sara had draped her arms around Ingus "Now what're you saying to poor little Arc here?" Ingus stiffened in place and gulped audibly "N-nothing your high-" The queen glared at him and he laughed nervously "I was telling him nothing… Sara."

Sara giggled, kissing the blond on the cheek "That's what I thought." Arc stifled a laugh "Don't worry-" The White Mage-Black Belt turned towards Arc "We'll be sure to send you an invitation through Mognet once the plans are done." Ingus sighed in defeat as Sara kissed him on the cheek once more before running off towards Refia.

"I see you've been busy the past thirteen years." Arc teased, earning him a groan from Ingus "Please, don't."

* * *

"That's wonderful!" Sara beamed, clasping her hands together "You mean to tell me-" Ingus started, furrowing his brows "That you've just been turned into the Master Smith by the previous one?" He turned towards Refia "And that you've been the Grand Magus ever since-"

"Ten years ago." Arc finished for the blond "Ah, but that's-" Sara placed her hand on Ingus' face "Oh, hush now!" She stood up, smiling and giggling uncontrollably "This is more than reason for a celebration!"

"How about Luneth?" The brunet asked no one in particular, earning him sad looks from the others "Oh, don't worry about that idiot." Refia smiled "He's probably out there in some ancient ruins or something."

Ingus nodded in agreement "Then I shall start with the preparations." He bowed at Sara "If you excuse me, your high- Sara." The blond pursed his lips; quickly walking away from the queen "Isn't he adorable?" Sara laughed, earning her laughs from the other two.

* * *

"Okay, this Bahamut scale better be worth it." Luneth whispered to himself, slowly chipping away at the large hide of the legendary dragon "Almost… there-AH!" The silveret's eyes widened in horror.

"AHCHOO!"

Luneth's sneeze resounded through the mountaintop, shaking the earth beneath him due to the sheer strength of the sound of his sneeze.

Bahamut stirred from its sleep and screamed a feral growl, pushing Luneth off.

"Ah, shi-"

* * *

"Isn't this… a bit too much?" Arc laughed nervously, looking at the castle lobby incredulously. It was decorated with different gems and stones, with tables and chairs placed neatly in between of the pillars. A long table spanned the entirety of the room; various foods littered the surface of the long table. The smell itself was enough to make Arc feel full.

"I have to say-" Sara started, a small smile creeping up her face "Ingus certainly made it a bit too… grandiose." Arc laughed "I guess he has missed you very much." The queen smiled "If you excuse me, I need to go on an errand." Sara nodded her head before taking her leave.

"Luneth would be so excited-" Refia started "That he'd probably eat right off the bat." Arc chuckled, sighing contentedly "Yeah, you're probably right."

* * *

"GRRROOOAAHHH!" Bahamut bellowed, electricity crackling in its mouth as it chased Luneth.

"AHCHOOO!" The silveret wiped at his face using his sleeve "Of all the days-" He jumped off the mountain "Why is it today that I had to catch a cold?!"

* * *

"This is great." Arc smiled, taking small sips from his glass "Indeed." Ingus drank from his glass, looking at the denizens of Sasune castle and the invited townspeople at the celebration. They were happily eating while talking and drinking, making a small smile creep up on Arc's face "Have you ever thought if we weren't the Warriors of Light?"

The blond raised a brow curiously as he finished the contents of his glass, placing it on the table before taking another glass "What do you mean?" Arc furrowed his brows and shrugged "If we were not the Warriors of Light- Would we be right here… right now?"

Ingus was about to speak when Arc had continued "I-I mean if others were chosen to be the Warriors of Light instead of us." The blond snorted, understanding his friend's question "Well, I suppose it'd still be the same." Ingus drank from his glass "I suppose we wouldn't be in the same places as we are now. We probably do not even know each other."

Arc's eyes widened in surprise and he bit his lip; the notion of not having met Luneth, Refia, Ingus, Sara, Cid, Desch, Aria, and everyone else almost felt too surreal; like it was impossible that it would not happen "But I suppose we would be happy." The blond smiled, cutting Arc off from his thoughts "We'd be living simple, normal lives."

"We would probably have children-" Arc said unconsciously "The prospect of that doesn't sound too bad." Ingus laughed, placing an arm on the brunet's shoulder "If you had just wanted to ask for help with Refia, then you should have just asked."

The brunet blinked his eyes owlishly and choked on his drink, beating at his chest to clear his throat "W-what?!" The blond snickered, patting Arc on the back "I suppose it IS high time that you try and propose to her." The brunet looked downwards, absolutely embarrassed about the notion of asking for Refia's hand in marriage-

"Sir!" A guard mocked salute at Ingus "The queen has drank too much and is out of control." The blond sighed in disbelief and pinched the bridge of his nose "Sorry about this, but please do excuse me." Ingus placed an arm on Arc's shoulder "I am sure she'd accept your proposal." The blond rushed towards an intoxicated Sara along with the guard that had reported to him.

Arc looked at his reflection on the brownish liquid in his glass "What would she possibly like in me?" He sighed in disbelief, laughing at his own brooding. He looked at Sara, who was easily beating the daylights out of her own guards. The brunet chuckled at Ingus who was barking orders at the guards, telling them to not hurt the queen in the slightest.

"If only it were that simple…" He smiled, downing his beverage in one drink.

* * *

"That was…" Arc hiccupped, his cheeks slightly tinted with red "Quite the celebration." He smiled for no reason, laughing and chuckling at random times "Especially when Queen Sara had- Hm?" The brunet lazily raised a brow curiously, he could see someone going towards him and they did not looked pleased one bit.

"Where have you been?!" Refia planted her arms on her hips, frowning at the brunet "Er-" Arc blinked a few times, his intoxicated brain functioned slower than normal "I was at the-" The brunet hiccupped, smiling "Castle lobby with the others."

The redhead narrowed her eyes "Are you drunk?" Arc laughed "What're you talking about?" Refia slapped her forehead, groaning in disbelief "You've got to be kidding me." She took the brunet's arm and dragged him upwards the castle "Where're we going?" Arc asked in a groggy tone, laughing at random intervals.

"To sleep." The redhead groaned "Can't believe you've got yourself drunk-" She opened the door to one of the guest rooms in the castle, leading Arc towards the single bed that lay within "Now go get some sleep!" She sighed in disbelief, turning around to leave the room.

"Wait." Arc commanded, tugging at the redhead's arm with unnecessary force, making her fall on him on the bed "That's better." He smiled, closing his eyes while wrapping his arms around the redhead "L-let go!" Refia stuttered, trying to compose herself "Mmmn… No." The brunet turned sideways, making Refia lie on the bed. Arc buried his face on her neck and drifted to sleep.

"Ah, damn." The redhead sighed in defeat, placing one of her hands on the brunet's hair, slightly caressing it.

* * *

"As you're queen, I order you to remove your clothes." Sara commanded, pointing at Ingus. The blond furrowed his brows and waved at her dismissively "With all due respect, you're the one who stripped in front of me, Sara."

The queen pouted and jumped towards Ingus, pinning his arms on the floor "Then I suppose I'll just have to strip you myself~" The blond struggled and squirmed, a sheepish smile gracing his features "Come now, I would rather not do something that we'd both regret."

"You mean, you don't want to have children?" Sara faked sadness "T-that's not what I meant-" The door to Sara's chambers had suddenly swung open and a guard did a mock salute "Good morning, your highness and Sir Ingus." His voice boomed and echoed in the queen's chambers "I am here to report that the Grand Magus and the Master Smith are departing."

"It's not what it looks like." Ingus muttered lamely, earning him a small snicker from the guard "Of course it isn't Sir Ingus." Sara released her grip on the blond and stood up, dressing herself "Well, we should see them off then, Ingus." The blond stood up and nodded in agreement.

The guard cleared his throat, earning him the curious looks of the two "I suggest using the bed next time-" He stated nonchalantly "Much more comfortable compared to the cold floor."

Ingus slapped his face with all the might that he could muster "Please, just stop, Drogan."

* * *

"Feel free to come back anytime!" Sara smiled "You two are more than welcome here." Ingus smiled as well, shaking Arc's arm.

"S-sure." The brunet smiled sheepishly, looking strangely embarrassed "Is something the matter?-" Ingus was cut off when Refia had spoken "Thanks for everything, Sara and Ingus." She smiled a toothy grin, turning around to walk away. Arc nodded in agreement and bowed, fixing his cloak before following after the redhead.

"They seem… tense." Sara cupped at her chin thoughtfully "Indeed. I wonder why?" Ingus asked no one in particular. Drogan had cleared his throat "If I may, your highness, sir Ingus." The two looked behind them and saw Drogan, Ingus' lieutenant "I had went to the guest rooms to inform them of breakfast-" A small smile crept up Drogan's face but the guard quickly regained his composure.

"And it would seem that not only the queen and sir Ingus were 'busy' last night." Sara furrowed her brows "What do you mean?" Ingus laughed, he stifled his laughter when the queen had looked at him "A little unorthodox, but I suppose it worked out in the end, hmm, Arc?" The blond smiled, looking at the shrinking backs of the two warriors of light.

* * *

"So…" Arc cleared his throat, there was a relatively large distance between the two of them "I was drunk… right?" Refia bit her lip and nodded, not even bothering to speak "Did I… we do anything-" The redhead looked at Arc incredulously, her cheeks red "W-what? No! We didn't do anything!" She stuttered, shaking her head violently.

"But I was drunk-" The brunet started, feeling more and more awkward "And I woke up next to you-" Refia sighed "Well, you did assault me-" She started, making Arc's eyes grow in surprise "But that's about it." The redhead shrugged "You pushed me onto the bed and slept like a baby." She sheepishly looked at the brunet, trying to find out how he'd react to that.

Arc laughed heartily, slapping his face. To think, he was worrying about something that he didn't do "Sorry." He smiled "For that awkward conversation." He smiled sheepishly "And for assaulting you last night." Refia laughed and went closer to Arc, linking their arms together "It's okay, you dummy." The brunet smiled, sighing contentedly.

* * *

"Well, I'll be off then." Arc smiled saluting at Refia using a book. The brunet had stayed with Refia and Takka for a week and he felt that he has done enough intruding "I'll be sure to go out every now and then." He smiled sheepishly at Refia "And I'll try to visit more often."

The brunet left their house while Refia looked at the door dumbfounded, earning her a snort from her foster father "And I thought ye'd make the move?" His tone was more reprimanding than teasing "Shut up, dad!" She fumed, her cheeks turning pink "I-I just couldn't find the perfect time-" Takka threw a large and ornately decorated hammer towards Refia "Then I reckon now's the best time." He smiled and toothy grin "Go on, before he's gone for the next ten years."

Refia gulped audibly, looking at her reflection in the hammer before running outside, chasing after Arc.

* * *

"Stupid!" Arc slapped his forehead using the book he was holding "I had an entire week!" He grit his teeth, mumbling something under his breath "Well, it's not like she likes me like that, anyway." He smiled sadly, keeping the book under his robes while fishing for his notebook "Let's see…" The brunet rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, flipping through the pages quickly.

He closed his notebook and placed it inside of his robes "Who am I kidding?" The brunet smiled, turning around back to Kazus "Being a hermit's good and all-" His smile grew bigger "But I suppose having no legacy to pass my knowledge on to is counterproductive and ironic." Arc ran towards Kazus, remembering his words to Ingus, about how the prospect of having children wasn't too bad-

Arc was cut off from his thoughts when he had bumped into something, successfully pushing him downwards. The brunet hissed in pain and stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes "P-pardon me, I wasn't looking-" His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Refia, rubbing at her behind gingerly.

"Refia?" He asked incredulously, helping the redhead up "Uhm, hi." She smiled sheepishly, picking up the hammer that she was holding on to earlier "What are you doing here?" Arc smiled, confused as to why the redhead was running towards his direction.

"I-I just wanted to say goodbye and all-" She bit her lip and shuffled her feet awkwardly "You know, because… damn!" The redhead groaned, earning her a surprised look from the brunet "I just.. you… I mean… here!" She offered the hammer to Arc, earning her an even curious look.

The brunet furrowed his brows "W-what's this?" He took the hammer from her, and almost fell over because he underestimated its weight "I-it's my family's heirloom." Refia tried to avoid his gaze "Why are you giving me such an important thing?"

The redhead cleared her throat "There's a tradition amongst smiths-" She started, awkwardly looking away "That the family hammer is to be given to the next head smith." The redhead bit her lip "Well, wouldn't that be you?" Arc smiled, still genuinely confused "T-technically, yes." Refia mustered all her strength and looked Arc in the eyes.

"B-but before I am a smith, I am a woman." Arc's eyes widened in disbelief and he tried speaking but no words came out of his mouth. He had read of such traditions before, where tokens, items, or objects were given to another person to ask their hand in marriage "I-I…" The brunet gulped audibly, he couldn't look away from her crimson orbs, and they were far too captivating-

"Your answer?" Refia squeaked, snapping Arc away from his gawking. The brunet gulped audibly, the main reason he had come back was to ask Refia's hand in marriage. Strangely enough, here she is, asking HIM for his hand in marriage. Arc laughed heartily, thinking how strange fate works. Refia looked at him strangely "Sorry." The brunet wiped a tear of mirth from his eye.

"All this time, I thought this was one-sided." Arc sighed contentedly, giving Refia her hammer back "I'm sorry but I can't accept the hammer-" The brunet smiled "But I'll be more than happy to make you my wife." Refia furrowed her brows and hit Arc with the hammer "Ow, hey!" The brunet frowned "What was that for?" The redhead stuck her tongue out "Sorry, but the hammer's part of the package~"

* * *

"You're… what?" Ingus blinked his eyes a few times "Getting married." Arc stated flatly, smiling at the blond. The knight furrowed his brows "And when is this happening?" The blond crossed his arms "A week from now."

Ingus smiled, placing an arm on the brunet's shoulder "That's enough time, then." Arc furrowed his brows, looking at Ingus curiously "To find Luneth." The blond smiled, earning him a smile from Arc.

"I appreciate the wishful thinking." Arc started "But the only one who can find Luneth- Is Luneth." Ingus laughed, draping his arm over Arc's shoulder.

* * *

"AHCHOO!" Luneth wiped at his nose "The hell did this cold come from?!" The silveret rubbed his hands together. He was in the woods near the temple of water, and he couldn't help but look at the temple.

A sad smiled crept up his face and he sighed "Oh, Aria. I hope the others are having much more fun than I am."

* * *

"I'll be back to check on you guys next week." Arc saluted using his book; a large intricate symbol appeared underneath his feet "Yes Grand Magus." One of the Moogles muttered, they were too busy playing with cards to even bother looking at the brunet.

He laughed, entering his house which was in between of Castle Sasune and Kazus "Cute little buggers." Ingus, Takka and the guards of Sasune had helped in constructing his house a few years ago "I'm home!" Arc placed the book on the table near the door.

"Dad!" A small child with a messy mop of red hair rushed towards him, laughing while hugging his leg "What is this?" He picked the child up, tossing him in the air and catching him repeatedly "Did a goblin manage to sneak inside of my house?"

The child laughed "It's just me, dad!" Arc kissed him on the forehead "I was just joking, Noah." The brunet lowered his son to the floor "I've brought a new book!" Arc smiled, taking the book that he placed on the table earlier "Ready to learn new spells?" The brunet conjured a combination of Fire and Lightning on his hand.

"Wow!" His son, Noah smiled and laughed "Can I do that?" Arc ruffled his hair "You'll be able to, with lots and lots of hard work."

Refia went out from the kitchen and kissed Arc on the cheek "How are the Moogles?" She smiled, picking Noah up "They're fine," Arc laughed "They've started to look at me less seriously." The redhead took the book from Arc "Well, that's what you wanted, right?" The brunet shrugged "Well, I suppose."

Arc sat down on the nearest chair and removed his cloak "So, how are Ingus and Sara?" Refia lowered her son and gave him the book that Arc brought "You mean _King_ Ingus?" The brunet stifled a laugh "Right, right." The redhead smiled "They're doing fine." Refia then smiled "Oh! I just remembered, Luneth is here-"

"I would've never thought that you could cook so well!" Luneth came outside from the kitchen, his mouth full of food "Uncle Luneth!" Noah pushed the open book towards the silveret "What does this mean?" Luneth rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, taking the book from the child.

"Ah, it means that your father is a bastard." Refia furrowed her brows at Luneth and the silveret shrugged "What's a bastard?" Luneth laughed while Arc slapped his face "Don't use that word, Noah." The brunet sighed "It's bad."

"Okay!" Noah beamed, running to his room with the book that Arc had brought "Hello to you too, Luneth." Arc stood up, smiling at the silveret "You should try Refia's cooking-" Luneth sighed contentedly "It's just awesome."

Arc laughed, smiling at the silveret "I do. Every day." Luneth sat down on the nearest chair and fished something out of his satchel "I wanted to give you this." The silveret brought something out that looked like a medallion "Found it in the Saronian catacombs. No idea what it's for." Luneth shrugged, handing the item to Arc.

"Interesting." The brunet furrowed his brows, examining the item "How long are you going to be staying with us?" Refia asked, placing plates on the large table in the middle of the room "Two days tops." Luneth shrugged "I was gonna visit Ingus and Sara before I went back to the surface."

Arc snickered "You mean _King_ Ingus?" The silveret guffawed, slapping his leg "Right, right." Luneth sighed contentedly, wiping away a tear of mirth "So, figured out what that thing is?" The silveret raised a brow curiously.

"No clue-" Arc was cut off from his words when he had pushed a hidden button on the side of the medallion. The middle of the item had opened, and the hole secreted a greenish gas that assaulted Arc's senses.

The brunet fell to the floor, he could vaguely hear Refia and Luneth's screams of concern. He struggled to keep conscious, but the gas was far too potent than any that he had encountered before. Arc saw Refia shaking him frantically while Luneth tried to wave the gas away before consciousness left him.

* * *

"_Arc._"

"_Arc!_"

"_ARC!_"

The brunet opened his eyes and he saw the concerned gazes of his companions "Thank goodness." Ingus sighed in relief "What happened?" Arc blinked a few times, rubbing at his eyes "You wouldn't wake up." Refia bit her lip "And we thought you were-" Luneth cut her off "He's fine, see?"

Luneth hugged Arc with all his might "You can't die while sleeping… that's pathetic!" Ingus slapped his face while Refia slapped the back of Luneth's head.

* * *

"Well, I guess we should go to the Crystal Tower." Luneth shrugged, driving the Invincible with as much finesse that he could muster "We don't have any other lead." Ingus looked at the map that he was holding "We already have the four fangs and the keys to the Crystal Tower and Eureka."

Arc looked blankly at his notebook. Was that all a dream? Those events, those memories; were they just a fantasy in the brunet's mind? Arc bit his lip and sighed in defeat, his dream WAS a bit too good to be true.

He looked over to the three, who were bickering about Noah knows what. The brunet smiled, they were all still so lively, especially Refia. Arc felt his face heat up and he shook his head, it was just a dream, after all.

"_Ah, don't think about it too much, boy._" Arc's eyes widened in surprise "Unei?" He looked around, but the old woman was nowhere to be seen "_I still am the guardian of the dream world."_ The voice laughed _"Think of that as a glimpse into the future._"

Arc smiled to himself, scribbling something in his notebook:

_Entry 87_

_Departed for the Crystal Tower with the others._

_Had the strangest dream today. Would rather not put details in here._

_It would seem that this adventure is almost at an end. _

_But the dream I had, states otherwise._

"Hey, Arc!" Luneth grinned "Look at that!" The silveret pointed towards the front of the ship. Arc stood up and wonder and awe struck the brunet. It was the Crystal Tower, in all of its majesty "Wow." He muttered, getting giddy at the sight.

Ingus and Luneth started bickering again while Refia tried her best to stop the two. Seeing as how words will have no effect, she simply punched them both in the guts.

Arc laughed to himself, keeping the notebook within his robes before going to his companions.

"This will be one big adventure…" The brunet smiled, readying himself for the dangers within the Crystal Tower.

* * *

And done.

My sister has always had this head canon that Sara was a Monk, due to the fact that she's too manly to be a White Mage (at least, that's how I perceive the way she talks about it.)

I decided to add that little bit to this story, making Sara literally and figuratively wear the pants in her and Ingus' relationship.

Hope you guys enjoyed and happy father's day once more.


End file.
